Four incumbents won reelection to Florence City Council in Tuesday’s general election, while two newcomers secured seats on the six-member council.
Incumbents Diane Whalen, Angie Cable, Gary Winn and Lesley Chambers won reelection, while Duane Froelicher and Shari Kilmer were elected to their first terms. They will serve alongside Mayor Julie Metzger Aubuchon, who won her reelection campaign against David Rose.
According to the Kentucky Secretary of State’s election night tracker, Whalen led the field with 3,219 votes, followed by Cable with 3,053, Froelicher with 2,780 and Winn with 2,615. Chambers received 2,601 votes, followed by Kilmer with 2,475, securing the final two seats.
Jeffrey Whittaker received 2,337 votes, followed by Jim Leach with 2,306, incumbent David Schneider with 2,161, Aaron Gillum with 1,900, Joe Clinton Berkshire with 1,409 and Brian Kinross with 1,060. All six fell short of securing seats on the council.
The Florence City Council consists of six members elected at large, meaning they represent the city rather than specific designated districts within city limits. Each council member serves a two-year term, with all six seats up for election every two years. The candidates elected in November will begin their terms in January 2027 and serve through December 2028.
The current Florence City Council consists of Schneider, Cable, Chambers, Winn, Patricia Wingo and Whalen. Wingo was the only incumbent who did not seek another term.
The Florence City Council race centered on several issues facing the city, including continued residential and commercial development, traffic congestion, infrastructure improvements, taxation, public safety and privacy concerns regarding the city’s use of automated license plate readers.
Several candidates also raised concerns about municipal spending and financial oversight, particularly after the city disclosed suspected revenue diversion that prompted an FBI investigation earlier this year.
